VA - The Rough Guide To Urban Latino (2006)

From Bogotá to Rio, urban life across Latin America is a struggle for most but the elite few. Wrapped up in killer dancefloor fillers, the music resonates and pulses with the trials and tribulations of everyday life and can express injustice just as sweetly as it does elation. Jam-packed with some of the hottest sounds from the urban Latino world, this album features lyrics born on the street dripping with tales of passion, anger, love and politics. Presenting rap from Colombia, rock nacional from Argentina, Cuban ska, Mexican electronica, reggaeton and hip-hop from all over, The Rough Guide To Urban Latino contains some of the most inspirational artists in the genre.

Artists include - Zona Marginal, Tríangulo Oscuro, Doctor Krapula, Actitud María Marta, Chacka , Ska Cubano, Asilo 38, Nava, Yerba Brava, Arakatuba feat. Liliana Chachian, Holger Hiller, Judiny feat. Caroline, Charanga Cakewalk, El Otro Yo Del Otro Yo and Bostich

Colors, cultures, and sounds collide amid The Rough Guide to Urban Latino, a multi-layered musical passport through Latin America. The trip starts off with the urban hip-hop sounds of Colombia's Zona Marginal ("No Mas") and glides through the complex cumbia rhythms of Ska Cubano (the charmingly weather-worn "Coqueteando") and Argentina's Yerba Brava (the deceptively cheery "Sos un Cheto"). The musical journey winds down via the electro-tinged sounds of Texas-based act Charanga Cakewalk ("El Indio") and Tijuana's Bostich ("Polaris"), dubbed the godfather of the Nortec musical hybrid Along the way, there are stops at reggaeton, commercial R&B and, of course, rock en espanol. Buenos Aires hip-hop trio Actitud Maria Marta offers a potent dose of girl power amid the sugary sweet harmonies of "Eres Re-Lindo," and Puerto Rico-based artist Nava conjures a sample-heavy salsa blend during "Hey You." Standout track "Riva" (courtesy Brazil's Arakatuba and vocalist Liliana Chachian) exemplifies the best this Rough Guide has to offer: A seamless mix of street smarts, time-honored tradition and an infectious, festive energy. --Joey Guerra